Glenturret 10 Year

Upon pouring, you immediately notice the huge legs in the glass (which is surprising for this Scotch that comes in at just 40%). I’m picking up grape (like an artificial grape), sweet fruits and oak. It’s smooth on the palate but I’m not picking up some of the things I caught on the nose. After a couple of sips you start to get more sweetness but there’s still a strong oak coming though in the palate. Not a long finish but still very enjoyable.

Note - I'm doing the Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar. I've also decided to pour these whiskeys "blind" (or at least as blind as I can), then providing nose, palate, and finish notes. I'll then look at the label, proof, cask type, etc. before writing my other notes. I'll be providing some guesses around things like proof and cask type and then seeing how much I missed the mark. Slàinte Mhath! Nose: Floral, herbal. Lightly sweet, with honey, vanilla, and green apples. Celery and cucumber peeking through. Toasted black peppercorns. Cacao - unsweetend. Highlands? Proof seems moderate, maybe in the neighborhood of 45%? Moderate oak coming through, but with a little leftover new make funk. Going to guess smaller or re-charred casks with a spirit 10 years or less. Pretty sure we're all malt here, no grain whisky in the mix. Palate: Toasted grains, vanilla and honey sweetness. Roasted almonds and toasted black peppercorns. A grab-bag of herbs and a few spices - mint and nutmeg are forward here. Some subtle fennel greens coming through. I think I'm getting some barrel bite here. Very bright and shiny overall, with this predominantly hitting the front and middle-back palate. Medium light mouthfeel, effervescent and prickly on the tongue. Finish: A lovewly swell of mint, key line, vanilla, and a woodsy tinge. Tannins reveal themselves, along with a tinge of smoke. Flowers and vegetation come to the forefront, eventually fading off with a minty, slightly bitter, almost lactic character. Medium-long length. Other notes: I got age and region, as well as grain type. I missed proof and casks. Today's experience is a great example of variability, both in the range of flavors from whisky to whisky, as well as how my own palate shifts from day to day. In skimming some other reviews, this seems to present as a little more oaked than the age statement may suggest. That makes me wonder if there really is some older spirit in the bottle, or if there's a combination of flavors that's giving that impression. Still, not bad. This is an uncomplicated glass. Well integrated, perfectly fine, very approachable. There may not be a lot of complexity to dive into, but sometimes that's perfectly fine. I could recommend this to a newcomer to the whiskey world, though not something I'd seek out for myself. As always, cheers!

On a visité la distillerie (artisanale à la main). Très simple, facile d’approche, pour les débutants.